Motivation
a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior towards a goal
instinct/evolutionary theory
A view that explains human behavior as motivated by automatic, involuntary, and unlearned responses.
instinct
a fixed pattern of behavior throughout a species that is unlearned
drive reduction theory
states that biological/physical drives make an aroused state and thus moves us to satisfy that drive
need
what produces a drive?
Homeostasis
process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment (our physiological goal)
pushes, pulls
a drive ________ us to act, an incentive _________
incentives
stimuli that motivate behavior (can be rewards or punishments)
arousal theory
states that when our basic needs are taken care of, we search for the ideal level of stimulation
Yerkes-Dodson Law
the psychological principle stating that performance is best under conditions of moderate arousal rather than either low or high arousal, the relationship between stress and performance
Han Selye
General Adaptation Syndrome, stress guy
General Adaptation Syndrome
Seyle's concept that the body responds to stress with alarm, resistance and exhaustion
alarm part of GAS
fight or flight activated
heirarchy of needs
Maslow's concept that individual needs must be satisfied in this sequence; physiological, safety, love, and belongingness, esteem, and self actualization.
resistance part of GAS
body resists or relaxes
exhaustion part of GAS
body reserves depleted, if stress continues it could be bad for the body
kert lewin
approach/approach, approach/avoidance, approach/avoidance
approach/approach conflict
according to Lewin, the result of simultaneous attraction to two appealing possibilities, neither of which has any negative qualities
approach/avoidance conflict
according to lewin, the result of being simultaneously attracted to and repelled by the same goal
avoidance/avoidance conflict
According to Lewin, the result of facing a choice between two undesirable possibilities, neither of which has any positive qualities
Abraham Maslow
said we are driven by needs, but not all needs are created equal. Hierarchy of needs, took an optimistic view of humanity, founder of humanistic psychology
Trancendence
when people strive for meaning, purpose, and communion in a way that is beyond the self.
A. L. washburn
He studied how we feel hunger. He swallowed a balloon, inflated it, and recorded whenever he felt hunger. His conclusion was that stomach contractions cause the feeling of hunger.
hypothalamus
what part of the brain controls hunger?
lateral hypothalamus
The part of the hypothalamus that produces hunger signals
ventromedial hypothalamus
The part of the hypothalamus that produces feelings of fullness as opposed to hunger, and causes one to stop eating.
set point theory
belief that brain mechanisms regulate body weight around a genetically predetermined 'set point'- hypothalamus acts as a thermostat
basal metabolic rate
the rate that we burn energy when at rest
Ghrelin
A hunger-arousing hormone secreted by an empty stomach
Obestatin
Secreted by stomach; sends out "I'm full" signals to the brain.
PYY
digestive tract hormone; sends "I'm not hungry" signals to the brain
Leptin
hormone that signals the hypothalamus and brain stem to reduce appetite and increase the amount of energy used
Insulin
A protein hormone synthesized in the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose into tissues
anorexia nervosa
an eating disorder in which an irrational fear of weight gain leads people to starve themselves. have distorted image of themselves, always tend to feel fat despite being skinny
bulimia nervosa
an eating disorder characterized by episodes of overeating, usually of high-calorie foods, followed by vomiting, laxative use, fasting, or excessive exercise
binge eating disorder
significant binge-eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust, or guilt, but without the compensatory purging
culture cause of eating disorders
some cultures, like in africa, see bigger women as healthier women
gender cause of eating disorders
women are much more critical to their bodies than men
Hypoglycemia
low blood sugar, lack of food
hyperglycemia
high blood sugar
glucose
the form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides the major source of energy for body tissues. When its level is low, we feel hunger.
set point
the point at which an individual's "weight thermostat" is supposedly set. When the body falls below this weight, an increase in hunger and a lowered metabolic rate may act to restore the lost weight.
sexual response cycle
the four stages of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnson - excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution
refractory period
a resting period after orgasm, during which a man cannot achieve another orgasm
Estrogen
Female sex hormone
Testosterone
Male sex hormone
David McClelland
studied achievement motivation; found those with high levels are driven to master challenging tasks, stated that we had 3 fundamental psychological needs
sexual orientation
an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one's own sex or the other sex
flow
a completely involved, focused state of consciousness, with diminished awareness of self and time, resulting from optimal engagement of one's skills
the achievement goal
the desire to set challenging (but attainable) goals and to persist in trying to reach these goals despite obstacles, frustrations, and setbacks
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes
need for affiliation
the desire to maintain social relationships, to be liked, and to join groups
need for power
the need to have control or influence over others
locus of control
A belief about the amount of control a person has over situations in their life. (Carol Dweck)
internal locus of control
the perception that you control your own fate
external locus of control
the perception that chance or outside forces beyond your personal control determine your fate.
extrinsic motivation
a desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment
intristic motivation
a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake
overjustification effect
The effect of promising a reward for doing what one already likes to do. The person may now see the reward, rather than intrinsic interest, as the motivation for performing the task.
emotion
a state of feeling that involves a set of complex reactions to a stimulus involving subjective thoughts/feelings, physiological arousal, and observable behavior
James-Lange theory of emotion (physiological)
experience of emotion is awareness of physiological responses to emotion-arousing stimuli (body first, then emotion)
Canon-Bard theory of emotion (physiological)
believed that emotion arousing stimuli simultaneously trigger physiological responses and emotional responses (one doesnt cause the other)
Schachter-Singer two-factor theory of emotion (cognitive)
believed that in order to experience emotion the body must react and cognitively label the arousal
autonamic nervous system
fight or flight, controls physical arousal
sympathetic division
on switch for fight or flight
parasympathetic division
the off switch for after an intense moment
opponent process system
the parasympathetic division and sympathetic division working together in our body is a good example of this
polygraph
a machine, commonly used in attempts to detect lies, that measures several of the physiological responses accompanying emotion (such as perspiration and cardiovascular and breathing changes).
spillover effect
when one's emotions affect the way one perceives others events
William James
founder of functionalism; studied how humans use perception to function in our environment
facial feedback hypothesis (izard)
the resulting feeling after making an emotional facial expression
Carroll Izard
Identified 10 basic emotions and argued that all other emotions are a mixture of the 10 basic emotions.
arousal
intensity of emotion
Valence
how pleasant the emotion is
feel-good, do-good phenomenon
people's tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood
subjective well-being
self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life.
adaptation-level phenomenon
our tendency to form judgments relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience
relative deprivation concept
we become disappointed because we think others are doing better than us
Catharsis
the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
well-being
a positive state that includes striving for optimal health and life satisfaction
adaptation level
level of a stimulus to which a consumer has become accustomed
relative deprivation
the perception that we are worse off relative to those with whom we compare ourselves
health psychology
a subfield of psychology that provides psychology's contribution to behavioral medicine
Philip Bard
A very prominent American psychologist who developed an alternative arousal theory with Cannon bard, known as the Cannon-Bard theory
Paul Ekman
emotion; found that facial expressions are universal
Carl Lange
Danish physiologist who proposed a theory of emotion similar to, and about the same time as James' theory that awareness of physiological responses leads to experiences of emotion.
Stanley Schachter
Developed "Two-Factor" theory of emotion; experiments on spillover effect